A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 5174815 Details
Epoch: 240 Number of transactions in block: 14 slot_no: 18384077 epoch_slot_no: 67277 block_no: 5174638 slot_leader_id: 4626998 size: 8969 time: 2021-01-06 16:26:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x8717a08f630b33ba9a411fd1096f6669fec07ce6ea287bc29b0a9600bbde4f4aBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1p76jzvkspds8jxvlhl6zxmzjl29ru27wk85flqd8flexs0rrf4fqas8hut op_cert: \xee646e66e78aa47b3730cbe9eda63f39784be9810beac8e8243b6ece05243415 op_cert_counter: 1